​Q: What can we do to begin to have greater respect for ourselves and human lives, so that we are not killing one another, so that we are not so violent and so cruel to one another?

SM: Spread the love message all the time. Always progress positively.

It’s better to tell the children, “Honey, you...”

Just say it in a positive way, instead of the negative way that we most often do.

For example, we say, “Don’t be so dirty,” but we could say, “Honey, keep yourself clean.” And the word “clean” will go inside the mind, instead of the word “dirty.” It doesn’t matter the “don’t” or “do.”

It’s the essence of the sentence that’s important.

Most people say, “Don’t be so dirty,” “Don’t be so cruel,” or “Don’t be so nasty,” this, that and the other.

Instead just say, “Be kind, be gentle, be gracious, be graceful,” and then the essence of the words will boil down to “kind, gentle, graceful.”

And when everything else is gone, ​only the essence remains.

We always keep telling children, “You are dirty,” “Don’t stay up late.” Just say, “Go to bed early.” I make that mistake too, I’m still learning also.